Went to the Bessemer, Alabama, Wal-Mart yesterday with my shopping list. I needed a set of Christmas Bubble Lights, snow drape with silver sparkles (which I’ve always been able to purchase there) and a Sterilite Container (like a file box) which they’ve always carried. Also on my list was silver Christmas balls. The only thing on my list they had were the balls.
Wider Aisles
The store has recently been renovated. I noticed the aisles in the Christmas section were wider than usual which was nice (last year you could barely wedge past an oncoming cart), but I also noticed that they didn’t have near the amount of Christmas as they usually have. There wasn’t much to get excited about. Guess you had to give up merchandise to have more space.
When looking for the Sterilite container, I went to the section that carries it and Rubbermaid. They only had one aisle with the containers and the item I was looking for wasn’t there. I thought it might possibly be in office supplies and asked an employee if they had the containers others places in the store. She didn’t stop, but responded as she walked on by, “I guess it’s all right here.”
I was also looking for a 5-disk CD changer. Couldn’t find one in electronics. While I was in office supplies looking for the container, I looked up and discovered the CD Changer on the very top of the office supply shelf. But, there wasn’t a price and no one to ask. Actually there were very few items with prices and as far as I’m concerned, if it’s not priced, it’s not for sale and I walk on by. I’m not going to spend time hunting down an elusive salesperson or a scanner (which rarely work anyway) to find a price.
Elves Design Clothing
And what’s with the sizes. Who makes their clothes? Elves? A large in the women’s department would fit my petite, nine year old granddaughter, but if you go to the Plus Dept. and pull an XL, you could put a small circus in it. By the way, not every grandmother wants to wear teddy bears and hearts on her tee shirts or sweat shirts. How about some stylish tops?
Employees not all Equal
Another thing. I’ve read a lot of blogs about the unfairness to employees and I agree with most everything I’ve read. However, let’s get real. Mixed in with the salt of the earth employees trying to make a living and feed their families are also the lazy, rude, unhelpful ones.
Laura in Alabama
You sure have a jump on me. I haven’t even begun to think about Christmas shopping yet.
I personally hate shopping around the holidays and prefer to avoid the crowds and the lines. However, rather than getting the jump on holiday shopping, I prefer to take the opposite route.
Since I only have one child at home, we often wait and celebrate Christmas in January. We wait to shop until the return season is over, then take advantage of the terrific “white sales” that normally take place in January.
Of course we still have the pre-holiday family get togethers, which I must buy for but I often try to buy gifts online or purchase gift certificates for local restaurants, where shopping isn’t such a problem.
As for rude employees. I have a wonderful habit that I’ve employed for quite a few years now. If I have a problem with an employee, I let the management know, post haste. Since I’m so fond of complaining, I also make it a point of praising employees, who go above and beyond the call of duty. I think they deserve to be recognized for a job well done.
It takes a little extra time to go out of your way to vocalize your experience to someone in management but it’s worth the time and effort and can enhanse your future shopping trips.